Giving Back to SIT: Supporting Future SITizens with Sheron Tan

Giving Back to SIT is a new alumni series spotlighting SITizens who continue to support the university community in meaningful ways. From mentoring students to contributing their time, knowledge, and resources, these alumni show that giving back can take many forms. In this feature, we speak with Class of 2014 alumna Sheron Tan, who established a named bursary to support future SITizens on their educational journey.

“I never want to see someone give up on their education just because they can’t afford it. If they have the heart to study, and I have the capacity to support, then I will do my part.”

These words belong to Sheron Tan, supporting SIT students through a bursary was a promise she had made to herself.

A Class of 2014 alumna from SIT’s Hospitality Management programme with the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV), Sheron established a named bursary in 2021 to support SITizens facing financial challenges during their studies. The decision was deeply personal.

“During my time in SIT–UNLV, I was working part-time while studying, and I remember how tough it was trying to balance both,” she recalls. “That period shaped me a lot.”

It was also during those years that she was first encountered the financial industry, the field that would go on and define her career. Having gone through the challenges of balancing studies and work simultaneously, Sheron understood how stressful financial concerns could weigh on a student’s journey.

“I told myself back then, if one day I have the ability to help someone else, why not?” she says.

Inspired by the Spirit of Giving

Sheron philosophy on giving did not emerge from a single moment. It was shaped gradually by the people she met and by the words that stayed with her long after she first encountered them.

She recalls being inspired by a religious leader she met through a non-profit organisation, whose example of selfless, wholehearted giving left a lasting impression. She also draws on a line from The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank which she first read in secondary school:

“No one has ever become poor by giving.”

“That really shaped how I see giving today,” she says.

Although Sheron studied hospitality, she has spent the last 14 years in the financial industry. Over time, she realised that many of the values instilled through her hospitality training continue to shape the way she works and lives.

“What matters most isn’t just the product, it’s how people feel,” she explains. “The experience, the care, and the extra mile you go for someone. That’s what stays with them.”

Her interactions with people from all walks of life have deepened this conviction further. She turns to a Chinese saying to express it best:

“舍得，有舍才有得 – you must first be willing to give before you can receive,”

“I’ve never given with the expectation of getting anything back. For me, it’s already meaningful knowing that the bursary can make a difference in someone’s journey.”

Staying Connected with SIT

Beyond supporting students through the bursary, Sheron also remains actively involved in the SIT community by attending alumni events whenever her schedule allows.

“It keeps me feeling young at heart, even though I might be from one of the earlier batches!” she laughs.

She was also part of a recent SIT-UNLV alumni giving effort to support hospitality students, contributing through her own named bursary.

For Sheron, that connection runs deeper than nostalgia. SIT remains a meaningful part of who she is, and she approaches her ongoing involvement with the same intentionality that defines her giving.

“Graduating from SIT means something to me,” she shares. “I want to stay connected, and if there’s any way I can continue contributing, I’m always open to it.”

Looking Ahead

When asked what she hopes for the students who receive her bursary, Sheron’s answer is both practical and heartfelt.

“I hope they study hard and make full use of the opportunity given to them,” she says. “And one day, when they are able to, I hope they will also choose to give back, just like how someone once supported them.”

Sheron’s story is a reminder that the SIT journey does not end at graduation. For many alumni, it is only the beginning of how they choose to shape what comes next.

To learn more about how alumni can support student-centric causes, including the newly established SIT-UNLV Alumni Bursary, visit: https://www.singaporetech.edu.sg/one-sitizen-alumni-initiative.